“Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?” (Jer. 8:22 NIV1984).
Before Jeremiah raised this heartbreaking question, Judah was already spiraling into judgment — a nation collapsing under the weight of its own rebellion.
Balm, in the land of Gilead, was a liquid resin obtained from certain trees, such as pine, cedar or cypress. It was known for its medicinal and aromatic qualities, valued not only as a treatment for wounds but also as a perfume. Because of its abundance, many physicians lived in that area.
In other words, medical help was plentiful. The people did not lack treatment for their ailments. When Jeremiah asked these questions, he was referring to their spiritual rather than their physical sickness. They were sin-sick, and all the balm in the world could not cure them of this malady.
God’s people were deep into sin. They were “skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good” (Jer. 4:22). After all He had done for them, they still turned away, unrepentant of their wickedness. “They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me…” (Jer. 9:3). Severe judgment was coming. “Was there no healing for them?”Jeremiah asked. Despite the warning and fulfillment of judgment, there was hope and healing for their future. “‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11).
The balm is a metaphor representing God’s healing power, His peace and grace. It points forward to the only true Healer — Christ. Through Jesus Christ, that healing is available no matter how deep our wounds go.
Jeremiah’s diagnosis sounds painfully familiar when we consider our own generation, which is not any different from the people of his day. We live in a sin-sick world. Evil abounds everywhere. Jeremiah grieved over God’s unrepentant people. He said, “To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.” (Jer. 6:10). Is this not true of our own world, where Christ is hated and Christianity is mocked? The Bible declares judgment is coming.
Christmas is just a couple of weeks away. For many, it has become a mostly secular celebration, and others seek happiness in the festivities of the season, only to see it vanish when it has all ended. People’s loneliness may even lead some to despair of life. They desperately need the balm that is freely offered in Christ.
Christmas is a joyful time to be with family and friends, but while we celebrate Jesus’ birth, we must not neglect the reason He came into this world — to be the Savior of the world. The hope we celebrate at Christmas is the healing only He can give. Spiritual healing comes only through Him. He is our Healer and Peacemaker, our “balm in Gilead.”
In Love’s Service
“There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.
Sometimes I feel discouraged and think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit revives my soul again.”
Refrain:
“If you cannot preach like Peter,
If you cannot pray like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus
And say, ‘He died for all.’”
— Traditional spiritual as printed in the Psaltery Hymnal (Gray, 1987)
This beloved spiritual captures the longing in Jeremiah’s cry and the hope fulfilled in Christ.
Is there “no balm in Gilead” — nothing that can heal the deep scars and wounds of sin? Yes, there is, and Jesus Christ is that balm. Sharing this with others is the best gift anyone could give or be given!
